Twenty-two year old rock / new wave singer Tasha-Ray Evin and her twenty-four year old sister Lacey-Lee defied the odds in 2003 when their band Lillix sold in excess of a half million copies of their debut CD Falling Uphill.  Equally impressive is the fact that they also battled through the odds of being an all girl band (at that time) from a small and somewhat isolated Canadian town in the Rocky Mountains, Cranbrook, British Columbia with a population of 20,000.  Originally signed to Maverick Records in 2001, when Tasha was only sixteen years old, Tasha and Lacey burst onto the music scene with startling success at a time when the music industry was reeling from declining CD sales.

They were also asked by the WB Television Network to cover The Romantics’ song “What I Like About You,” and it became the theme song for the show of the same name that starred Jennie Garth and Amanda Bynes, while airing between 2002 -2006. 

With the release of their second record Inside The Hollow in 2006, it looked as though Lillix would continue to build upon the success of Falling Uphill.  Maverick Records however ran into financial difficulty and eventually bit the dust.  Lacey describes their disappointment, “No one has had a chance to hear this (Inside The Hollow), and it is pretty much due to the lack of promotion. The record wasn’t promoted, and we weren’t happy about that. Maverick went under, and we went under with them. At first (when they were signed) we were blown a way because we got signed, and then four years later we weren’t on a label anymore,” she says.

With extraordinary maturity and demonstrating steadfast determination Tasha says, “You know what, we are happy and excited right now, because bands get signed, bands get dropped and bands get signed (again), it is just the music business.  The ones that keep going are survivors, because they are passionate about their craft.  If you want to keep doing it, or you don’t that’s your choice. For Lacey and I it is our choice to keep going.  We feel like we are just starting.”

Shortly after Maverick Records went down, two of the band members left, bass player Louise Burns and the group for the third time lost a drummer, this time Alicia Warrington. The current rendition of Lillix has Scott Thompson as the bassist and Eric Hoodicoff as the drummer.  The band has started to record again, have begun to do some gigs and like their new sound.

Tasha talks about Lillix’s new look, “I think it has changed the band.  We like the same kind of music, only with different influences. Generally, I think that we are all on the same page when it comes to what we like and don’t like. It has affected our new music, because it sounds more coherent. It is not all over the place. I think with all girls there was a little bit of ADD going on (she giggles).  We are really excited because working with guys is fun. There is no pressure, and it is just so laid back. We can just have a beer, play music for hours and jam. Everyone is really open-minded. Maybe, it is because I am little bit older too.”

As far as how the two newest members impact Lillix’s sound Tasha says, “We have only recorded two new songs together, so we have not had a chance to hear what we can come up with. It is hard to explain, because it comes down to parts. Everybody brings a different part, and a different element. I think overall there is a little more rock.”

Despite the personnel changes, the core of Lillix remains intact, “It has always been my sister and I, writing music and recording music together since we were kids. The band members around us always changed but (she bursts into laughter) first of all, you can’t really get rid of your sister (more laughter). We like playing music, and you can hear that when we (Lacey and Tasha) play together,” says Tasha.

Knowing that Tasha and Lacey share a fondness for classic rock, new wave, pop and punk bands such as, SuperTramp, America, Neil Young, Queen, Tin Lizzie, Blondie and The Beatles, I teased her about the duo being the Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart) of the twenty-first century. She came back at me with a resounding, “Hey I’ll take that, I love Heart!” They also enjoy more recent bands such as The Faint and The Cure.